With 34 WrestleManias to pull from, I thought it would be fun to put together the Ultimate WrestleMania Card by taking the best matches from previous WrestleManias and compiling them in a single event format.
The rules are as follow:
- One match per superstar: If you choose Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat, you can't also choose Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan.
- The card must include a main title (WWE, Undisputed, WWF, etc) match, a secondary title match (Intercontinental, United States, European, etc.), and a tag team title match.
- A title can only be defended once: If you choose Shawn Michaels vs. Razon Ramon for the Intercontinental Championship, you can't choose Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper for the intercontinental title.
- The card must include a women's match.
- The card must include at least 10 matches. Maximum match card length is 15.
Let's get started!
Main Event: The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 25)
For my money, this is the greatest match in the history of WWF/E. WrestleMania saw the collision of the greatest performer in WrestleMania history, Shawn Michaels, and the most dominant streak in the history of WrestleMania possessed by The Undertaker.
This match was everything I expected and more! Before the match I expected this to be a great match but there was no way Undertaker would lose. Once the match got started, I started to think this is the night The Streak ends. Plenty of Shawn Michaels's WrestleMania matches could've made this card, but none are better than this one.
Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin: Submission Match (WrestleMania 13)
The rise of Stone Cold Steve Austin from The Ringmaster to the one of the greatest superstars in pro wrestling history featured many sentinel moments and his match against Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13 is one of them.
The match was a perfect blend of physicality, psychology, and story-telling. The result was a well-executed double turn that saw Bret Hart leave the ring victorious as a hot heel and began Stone Cold Steve Austin's ascent to white hot babyface. The image of Stone Cold bloodied, trapped in the Sharpshooter, and screaming in agony remains an iconic image to this day.
Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper or Shawn Michaels could have made this list as well as any of the Steve Austin-Rock matches but Bret vs. Austin is the best match for both men.
Edge and Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz: TLC Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship (WrestleMania 17)
Many consider WrestleMania X7 to be the best WrestleMania ever and the best match on that loaded card was the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (TLC) match between Edge and Christian, The Hardy Boyz, and The Dudley Boyz.
This match was unbelievable and featured some of the craziest moves and spots ever seen. From Jeff Hardy's Swanton Bomb off the ladder to Edge spearing Jeff Hardy in midair as Jeff hung from the Tag Team Championships suspended above the ring, this match was the epitome of a human demolition derby.
You're not going to find a better tag team match in the history of WrestleMania than this one. Honestly, you would be hard pressed to find a tag team match in history that surpasses this one.
The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania 18)
Disclaimer: The selection of this match is not done with the purpose of celebrating or forgiving Terry Bollea who has proven himself to be a racist. However, the story of WrestleMania can't be told without Hulk Hogan.
The Rock vs. Hogan match was billed as Icon vs. Icon and it certainly lived up to it. This match should've headlined WrestleMania X8 because nothing came after it that night seemed to matter. This was the match that led to the transition of Hollywood Hulk Hogan back to Real American, Red and Yellow Hulk Hogan as fans in Toronto refused to boo Hogan who was the heel in the match. It also led to The Rock eventually turning heel as the fans essentially turned on him that night.
It is one of greatest moments in WrestleMania history and a match that many thought would never happen. However, I can't help but wondering how Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Hulk Hogan would've played out if Austin got the opportunity which I feel he should have.
Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage for the WWF Championship (WrestleMania 8)
Two of the all-time greats clashed for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania 8 when Nature Boy Ric Flair met Macho Man Randy Savage. Surprisingly, WWF at the time decided to not have Hulk Hogan challenge Ric Flair in what would've been a dream match between the two men that anchored the WWF and NWA/WCW respectively.
The match told a great story that culminated a feud built around Ric Flair claiming he had a romantic relationship with Savage's wife, Elizabeth. Flair worked Savage's leg for a great portion of the match. In the end, Savage would reverse the Figure Four Leglock into a small package and winning his 2nd WWF title.
Ric Flair's last match with Shawn Michaels and Randy Savage's retirement match with Ultimate Warrior are other considerations for both men.
Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Bank: Triple Threat for the WWE Women's Championship Match (WrestleMania 32)
One of the hallmark moments in the Women's Revolution in WWE was transitioning from referring to their female wrestlers as Divas to acknowledging them as being women wrestlers. A major part of this move was introducing the Women's WWE Championship, which shared the design that WWE title had. By doing away with the butterfly Diva's championship, WWE signaled that we don't look at our women as filler or an active intermission opportunity but instead as equals to their male counterparts.
The women's division couldn't have had 3 better representatives to compete in this match as Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch put on a great match showing what women were capable of when given the opportunity to shine. The highlight of the match was Charlotte landing a picture perfect moonsault en route to her becoming the new WWE women's champion.
Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho: Two Fall Triple Threat Match for the Intercontinental and European Championships (WrestleMania 2000)
Disclaimer: The selection of this match is not celebrating, forgiving, or making light of the Christ Benoit murder-suicide. The selection of this match is give Benoit his proper respect as being one of the best wrestlers ever.
Kurt Angle had arguably the best rookie year in wrestling history. During that historic year, he simultaneously held the Intercontinental and European Championships. In a rare and innovative match, Angle defended both titles against Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho, two former WCW standouts that were early into their WWF careers.
The match was called a Two Fall Triple Threat Match in which the 1st fall of the match was for the intercontinental title and the 2nd fall was for the European title. This match featured 3 of the greatest in-ring performers ever and in the end Angle left empty handed as Benoit won the Intercontinental Championship and Jericho won the European Championship.
Triple H vs. Jericho, Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels, and Kurt Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero are other matches I considered for each man.
Triple H vs. Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship (WrestleMania 21)
Former Evolution stablemates went to war when Triple H defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Batista.
Batista won the Royal Rumble and earned the right to challenge for either the WWE Championship held by JBL or the World Heavyweight Championship held by Triple H. Batista chose Triple H during a build that saw Triple H secretly insulting Batista behind his back. The match itself was hard-hitting and saw Triple H bleeding to a crimson mask magnitude.
In the end Batista beat Triple H to secure his first of many World Heavyweight Championship reigns in his first-ballot hall of fame career.
Big Show vs. John Cena for the United States Championship (WrestleMania 20)
John Cena is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and he won his 1st singles title at WrestleMania 20. The rise of the Cenation started with John Cena returning from knee injury to challenge the Big Show for the United States title at WrestleMania.
After winning the United States Championship, Cena would go on to create his own custom spinner U.S. title belt which he would also do with the WWE Championship the following year.
Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship (WrestleMania 33)
The dream match between two of the most dominant forces the WWE and WCW had ever seen didn't quite go as WWE hoped at WrestleMania 20 when the New York crowd booed Brock Lesnar and Goldberg out of the building. The match took place after it had become public knowledge among wrestling fans that Brock Lesnar was leaving to go try his hand at the NFL and that Goldberg had not renewed his contract and would be leaving at WrestleMania 20.
13 years later, these two men would meet again with Goldberg being the Universal Champion at the ripe young age of 52 and defending it against Brock Lesnar, the man he beat in 89 seconds at Survivor Series the previous year in his return match after a 12 year hiatus.
The match was fast paced and sudden which saw both men hit their best moves in a short span of time. Lesnar finally got his win over Goldberg and reclaimed the Universal Championship in a physical sprint to accommodate Goldberg who couldn't exactly work 20 minutes.
Vince McMahon vs. Shane McMahon: Street Fight (WrestleMania 17)
You can't have a WrestleMania card without The McMahon Family being involved and there is no better match to include than the Street Fight between Vince and Shane McMahon. The epic battle between father and son was brought about as Shane defended his mother's honor after Vince McMahon had started a relationship with Trish Stratus as his wife, Linda McMahon, was going through a health issue and bound to a wheelchair. During the match, Linda would make a miraculous recovery and help her son defeat her husband.
Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins (WrestleMania 31)
In the interest of full disclosure, I selected this match entirely for the Curb Stomp into the RKO spot. Orton is an all-time great and deserves to be featured on the card and the RKO he delivered to Rollins on this night might have been his best ever.
Bart Gunn vs. Eric 'Butterbean' Esch (WrestleMania 15)
What would a WrestleMania be without a special attraction match involving someone from outside of the world of pro wrestling? Bart Gunn won the Brawl for All tournament in shockingly dominant fashion prior to WrestleMania. This led to Bart wanting to test his skills and his chin against a legitimate fighter. Enter Tough Man champion turned professional boxer Eric 'Butterbean' Esch. Butterbean had become an attraction fighting on pay-per-view boxing cards in 4 round fights which usually ended in some poor guy being knocked silly. Unfortunately for Bart Gunn, he would become another one of Butterbean's victims after Butterbean knocked him out.
Thanks for reading. I would love to see your Ultimate WrestleMania Card! What do you think of the card I put together? Sound off!
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